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Montana Bans Drag Readings to Kids in Schools and Libraries

The new law goes further than similar restrictions proposed in other states.

Montana is officially the first state to specifically ban people in drag from reading books to children in public libraries and schools. The bill immediately came into force after being signed by the state’s Republican governor, Greg Gianforte, on Monday. Similar bills in Florida and Tennessee are seeking to outlaw drag reading events, but they require the performances to have a sexual nature. Montana’s new law is unique in that it doesn’t require a sexual component for an event to be banned. Gianforte’s spokesperson Kaitlin Price said in a statement that the governor signed the bill because he “believes it’s wildly inappropriate for little kids, especially preschoolers and kids in elementary school, to be exposed to sexualized content.”